When Fitness is a Lifestyle

I hope everyone is doing well!  It is hard to believe that the year is almost over...Looking back at 2006, did you take better care of yourself?  Are you waiting for 2007 to make a resolution to improve your health and fitness?  The funny thing is that the years come and go.  If you are waiting for the right time, why not start now? 

I was watching Real Sports with Bryant Gumbell and there was a story about a place (The Odyssey House) where they train ex-drug addicts to run the New York City Marathon.  What struck me was here were people who had abused their bodies for years and years with drug abuse, yet they trained for eight months and all of them completed the marathon.  So if you feel like you are too out of shape to get into shape, get off your butt and do something about it! One has to admire people who overcome adversity and make something of themselves.

Let’s review the three steps to getting into better shape:

 1. Know and understand your metabolism.  Keep an accurate record of the food and drink you put in your mouth.  Weight loss and weight gain is no mystery.  Calories in and calories out determine your weight.  How many villages in third world countries have a problem with obesity?  Do they think they have a problem with their thyroid?

2. Exercise. Try to do some type of physical activity everyday of the week for 30 to 60 minutes.  Strength train for at least two days of the week.  If you have time to watch four hours of television, you have time to exercise while doing it.

3. Stress Management.  Exercise and massage are great tools to help manage stress. Maintaining healthy relationships with your family and co workers will also minimize stress. One thing I forgot to talk about in my last newsletter is financial stress.  If you are in debt and it is causing enormous stress in your life, then create a budget to get out of debt.  Weight loss and financial debt are closely related.  You cannot get out of debt if you do not change those behaviors that put you in debt to begin with.  Just like losing weight.

To make sure you stay on track I suggest that you have a support system.  Whether you come into Functional Conditioning or not, you need someone to hold you accountable for your actions.  Asking your husband or wife to keep you on the straight and narrow is not a good idea.  The people closest to us are going to say things that may turn into a fight.  When I was heavy I lived with my girlfriend.  We were both trying to lose weight, but we always seemed to sabotage each other's effort with trips to Dairy Queen.  I wish I could say it was all her fault, but I am sure it was just as much my fault. 

Have a plan to succeed.  If you plan what you are going to eat before eating it, you will make better choices.  The Calorie King book is a great to in helping you be successful at this.  You can look at the calories at many restaurants before choosing where to go and what to order.  If you wait until after eating it, that just will not do.  Chances are you will be eating more than you were hoping to.

Plan your exercise time.  If you are not a morning person, do not torture yourself with getting up and exercising.  The whole idea is to make a lifestyle change, but don't use that as an excuse to not workout at your lunch break or after work.  The best advice I can give you is to pick your days and times to exercise and stick to it.  Write it in your planner and treat it just like any important appointment.  It is much easier to stay on course with an exercise program than stopping and trying to get started again.

Thankfully our bodies are very forgiving.  If you have fallen off the wagon, pick yourself back up and get moving.  Life is short and you do not know how long you will be here.  I don't care if I live to be 100, what I do care about is how I feel.  Who wants to feel like crap all the time? Please let me know if we can help you get on track.  For those of you who are on track, and there are many of you, I appreciate and admire all of you.  I may inspire you, but many of you inspire me.  Have a wonderful holiday season!

Client of the Month

Laura has been coming to Functional Conditioning for almost three years now.  Over that time she has had to overcome a lot of adversity in her life.  She works full time as a CPA and is raising her daughter by herself.  Laura has increased her fitness level in all areas.  She is someone who I admire and look forward to seeing each visit.